The invention relates to a method of bonding two bodies, in which both bodies are provided with a thin layer, whereafter these two thin layers are both activated by a slight polishing operation and are thereafter bonded together by a mechanical wringing in contact operation.
Such a method is disclosed in the European patent application EP 137537. In the method described there glass optical components, for example, are provided with thin dichroic layers, such as oxides, sulphides or fluorides, which layers are thereafter subjected to a fresh-polishing operation. This slight polishing operation activates the surface, as a result of which, after the slight polishing surfaces have been brought into contact with each other these surfaces are wrung into contact. Van der Waals-bonds are then formed between these two surfaces.
A disadvantage of the prior art method is that the adhesive force between the two surfaces is too weak for some types of applications. The Van der Waals-bonds are relatively weak and produce an adhesive force of approximately 10 N/cm.sup.2. It was found that this adhesive force can be improved by firing the combination after the wringing contact operation at a temperature of 900.degree.-1000.degree. C. This is however objectionable for many applications.